Kylian Mbappe, Scott McTominay and the top 20 signings of the 2024-25 European season – ranked
After a drama-filled campaign packed with a record-breaking number of fixtures, we finally know the champions in each of Europe’s top five leagues. Liverpool clinched their second Premier League title in Arne Slot’s first year at the club, Barcelona wrestled the La Liga title back from Real Madrid, Bayern Munich did likewise to Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, Napoli dethroned Inter in Serie A and Paris Saint-Germain romped to their fourth-successive Ligue 1 crown.
There were also some fairy-tale stories in the domestic cups as Crystal Palace, Newcastle, Bologna and Stuttgart ended their long respective trophy droughts, while Tottenham did the same after beating Manchester United in an all-English Europa League final. All that is left now is to crown the Champions League winners, with PSG and Inter set to face off at the Allianz Arena in what promises to be a blockbuster showpiece event.
A handful of the most successful clubs of the season have thrived without making too many changes to their squads, but most have reached the next level by either forking out big money on new players or arranging shrewd loan deals and free transfers. Recruitment has been key this year, and so many signings have managed to exceed expectations after stepping out of their comfort zones.
The question is: who stands out as the best of the bunch? GOAL ranks the top 20 signings of the 2024-25 European season below…
20.Antony (Real Betis) – loan
“I’ve found myself again because I’m happy, things are going well,” Antony told Movistar Plus after curling home a sublime last-minute winner for Real Betis against Espanyol at the start of May. That was one of nine goals the Brazilian has scored for Betis since his January loan move from Manchester United, and he’s set up another five to boot, which has helped mend his damaged reputation after two-and-a-half miserable seasons at Old Trafford.
Betis team-mate Isco has even suggested the club must “start a crowdfund so he can stay at least another year”, with United reportedly set to demand around £40m ($34m) from any potential suitors interested in signing the 25-year-old outright. If Antony also inspires Betis to a Conference League final victory over Chelsea, that price may go up, with the former Ajax star now looking like one of the most exciting and effective wingers on the continent once again.
19.Moise Kean (Fiorentina) – £11m
Former Everton flop Moise Kean didn’t score a single goal for Juventus last season, so no one expected much from him after he made the summer switch to Fiorentina. But, as it’s turned out, the Artemio Franchi Stadium has been the spiritual home Kean has been looking for over the last six years.
The Italy international bagged 19 goals in just 32 Serie A appearances for La Viola, helping them secure a sixth-placed finish and European qualification. Kean’s resurgence has been remarkable, and the imposing centre-forward may go on to become his country’s main man at the 2026 World Cup if he can keep up his prolific club form next season.
18.Xherdan Shaqiri (Basel) – free
Xherdan Shaqiri returned to his boyhood club Basel last summer after cutting ties with MLS outfit the Chicago Fire, and the 33-year-old has since shown he still has plenty to offer in the European game. Basel stormed to their first Swiss Super League title since 2017 as Shaqiri rediscovered his very best form, racking up an incredible 39 goal contributions, including a stunning 10-minute hat-trick in a 5-2 win over Lugano.
The former Liverpool and Bayern Munich star has added several spectacular strikes to his insane career highlight reel, and there may well be more to come when Basel return to the Champions League in 2025-26. “A different wind is blowing through this club again,” Shaqiri said after landing his fourth domestic crown in Switzerland; that’s pretty much all been generated from his unique brilliance.
17.Nico Paz (Como) – £5m
Real Madrid decided to sell highly-rated youngster Nico Paz last summer, with Italian outfit Como snapping the attacking midfielder up in what now stands as one of the bargain deals of the season. The 20-year-old has come of age in Serie A, posting 14 goal involvements after slotting seamlessly into Cesc Fabregas’ 4-2-3-1 system.
Paz was the driving force behind Como’s unlikely run to a 10th-placed finish, proving himself as an astute playmaker with a real eye for goal. Fabregas has described the Argentine as a “complete player” with “very big potential”, and that could still be unlocked at Madrid, who reportedly have the option to re-sign him for just £7m either this summer or next.
16.Mika Biereth (Monaco) – £13m
Much has been made of Mikel Arteta’s refusal to sign a proper No.9 at Arsenal in recent seasons, and the Spaniard has also taken some heat for letting a very capable one go in the form of Mika Biereth. The Danish marksman never got his chance at senior level with the Gunners, despite impressing in loan spells at Motherwell and Sturm Graz – the latter of whom they allowed him to join permanently for just £4m last summer.
Biereth made Arteta instantly regret that decision by scoring 14 goals in all competitions in the first half of the season for Graz, including two in the Champions League, before making the switch to Monaco for £13m in January and adding another 13 to his tally in Ligue 1. Monaco secured Champions League qualification thanks to Biereth’s ruthless finishing skills, with the 22-year-old managing to notch three hat-tricks for Adi Hutter’s side, who have been richly rewarded for taking a gamble on the Arsenal academy graduate.
15.Ayoze Perez (Villarreal) – £3m
Ayoze Perez said he was “at the best moment” of his career after joining Villarreal, which was a somewhat bold declaration given he only scored nine La Liga goals for Real Betis last summer. But the former Newcastle and Leicester City forward has been proven right; only four players beat Ayoze’s haul of 19 goals in the Spanish top-flight this season as he fired Villarreal to fifth in the table.
At 31, it seems Ayoze has indeed reached his peak, and Villarreal have certainly become reliant on the Spain international’s superb instincts in the box, while he’s also been one of the hardest-working members of Marcelino’s squad in a year that has seen the Yellow Submarine rise back up to their rightful place as one of La Liga’s elite teams.
14.Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Paris Saint-Germain) – £59m
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia became a household name in Serie A at Napoli, but now he’s firmly among the very best footballers in the whole of Europe after adapting instantly to life with French champions PSG. The Georgian attacker has completed Luis Enrique’s devastating front three alongside Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue since joining in January, getting supporters off their feet with his unpredictable style of play.
PSG can turn to Kvaratskhelia to deliver a decisive moment of magic in any game, whether by dribbling past multiple defenders, arrowing an unstoppable shot into the far corner, or laying on a perfect pass for one of his team-mates to finish off. The 24-year-old should score more goals, but his influence in general play cannot be overstated, and it will be no surprise if he gives PSG the edge again in the Champions League final.
13.Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid) – £82m
Julian Alvarez was underappreciated at Manchester City. The World Cup winner recorded 55 goal contributions in two trophy-laden seasons under Pep Guardiola, but largely saw his efforts overshadowed by Erling Haaland, and that ultimately led him to take on a new challenge with Atletico Madrid last August.
At the Metropolitano, Alvarez has been trusted with a leading role by Diego Simeone, and he hasn’t let the coach down. The 25-year-old finished his debut season in Spain as Los Rojiblancos’ top scorer on 29 goals, with seven of those coming in just 10 Champions League appearances, and the dynamic Argentine was very unfortunate not to add more silverware to his already stellar CV (things may well have been different had that penalty call against Real Madrid gone his way!).
12.David de Gea (Fiorentina) – free
After spending a full year in the wilderness following his release from Manchester United, David de Gea finally got a career lifeline when Fiorentina came calling. The Spaniard still had much to prove, though, having been reduced to a figure of ridicule in his final few years at Old Trafford following a string of costly errors.
Against the odds, De Gea has shown he has plenty more in the tank, registering 11 clean sheets and a grand total of 98 saves in Serie A, including two penalties he kept out in Fiorentina’s massive win against AC Milan in October. All of a sudden, many United fans are questioning whether the club gave up on De Gea too soon, as it’s indisputable that Andre Onana has been a downgrade on the 34-year-old.
11.Willian Pacho (Paris Saint-Germain) – £38m
Willian Pacho has been the unsung hero of what could turn out to be the most successful season in PSG’s history. The Ecuadorian centre-half was colossal in his solitary season at Eintracht Frankfurt, and has been able to transfer his dominant displays to Parc des Princes, forming a formidable partnership with Marquinhos in the process.
PSG posted the best defensive record in Ligue 1 on their way to the title, and that’s in no small part down to Pacho’s strong tackling and excellent powers of anticipation. Luis Enrique has described the 23-year-old as “one of the best central defenders in the world”, and it’s frightening to think how much better he could still get as he enters the prime years of his career.
10.Mateo Retegui (Atalanta) – £24m
Famously compared to Gabriel Batistuta by former Italy boss Roberto Mancini, Argentine native Mateo Retegui has finally started to live up to that billing since swapping Genoa for Atalanta in the 2024 summer transfer window. Gian Piero Gasperini has been the perfect manager to bring the very best out of Retegui, who finished his first year in Bergamo with 29 goals and eight assists to his name in all competitions as he finished as Serie A’s top scorer.
Retegui’s ruthlessness brought Atalanta closer to Scudetto glory than ever before, and while he was far less decisive in their disappointing Champions League campaign, the 26-year-old has deservedly become a fixture in the Italy national team. It’s not only about the goals with Retegui, either; he’s also an adept target man who thrives when dropping deeper to link the play, which has helped Atalanta open up defences time and time again.
9.Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund) – £15m
Serhou Guirassy’s incredible 28-goal season with Stuttgart was seen as a fluke by many, given the Guinea international had not been nearly as prolific at any of his previous clubs, such as Rennes and Lille. But Dortmund were impressed enough to make Guirassy their new first-choice No.9 ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, and he’s taken to that daunting role with all the confidence and skill of a world-class frontman.
Dortmund have endured another inconsistent year in the Bundesliga, failing to close the gap on Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen, but Guirassy still delivered 21 goals – the joint-second best total in the division. The 29-year-old was even better in the Champions League, where he is likely to earn a share of the Golden Boot after finding the net 13 times in 14 games, including a stunning treble against Barcelona that briefly gave BVB hope of a historic comeback in the quarter-finals.
8.Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray) – loan
It was a personal disaster for Victor Osimhen to end up in the Turkish Super Lig with Galatasaray after falling out with club officials at Napoli, but to his immense credit, the Nigeria international has been able to strengthen his status as one of the world’s finest strikers in a lesser division. Osimhen has plundered 36 goals in just 40 games during his loan spell in Istanbul, helping Gala clinch a domestic double – much to the ire of Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho.
An explosive, deceptively powerful centre-forward who also possesses the technical quality to bring others into play, Osimhen is a nightmare to play against and, as we all knew, far too good for for the Super Lig. The Napoli loanee will be able to get his career at the highest level back on track this summer, with just about every top club on the continent vying for his services.
7.Romelu Lukaku (Napoli) – £25m
Chelsea finally got rid of Romelu Lukaku last summer when Napoli agreed to meet their £25m ($34m) asking price, which actually felt steep at the time. Lukaku had done okay on loan at Roma in 2023-24, but it felt like he was in steady decline, and few fans and pundits envisioned him filling Osimhen’s boots at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
The 32-year-old did exactly that, though, as Napoli bounced back from their woeful title defence last term to win their fourth Scudetto. A reunion with his former boss at Inter, Antonio Conte, reignited the fire in Lukaku’s belly, and he posted double figures for goals and assists for the first time in his career, evolving into an all-rounder who no longer puts himself ahead of the team.
6.Mason Greenwood (Marseille) – £27m
Marseille won the race to sign Mason Greenwood from Manchester United after his eye-catching loan stint at Getafe in 2023-24, and the English forward has managed to repay his £27m ($37m) price tag in just one full season at Stade Velodrome. A return of 21 goals from 24 Ligue 1 appearances saw Greenwood surpass Didier Drogba in Marseille’s record books as Roberto De Zerbi’s side finished runners-up to runaway champions PSG.
Only Ousmane Dembele could match Greenwood’s final goal total, and the 23-year-old was unfortunate to miss out on a share of the Golden Boot just because he’d converted more penalties than his PSG rival. Greenwood has faced the wrath of De Zerbi on a few occasions over a perceived lack of effort, but there is no doubt he’s added a new dimension to Marseille’s attack, and will be their danger man in the Champions League next term.
5.Desire Doue (Paris Saint-Germain) – £42m
Desire Doue was the subject of a bidding war after his brilliant breakthrough season at Rennes, with Bayern Munich and Chelsea among those to table offers for the teenager. However, he chose to continue his development in France and join PSG, which has turned out to be the right call for the versatile forward.
Doue has been involved in 28 goals for Luis Enrique’s side so far in 2024-25, and has been a vital asset due to his ability to play in several positions, including on both wings or as No.10. Despite facing fierce competition from Bradley Barcola, Doue has stood out as PSG’s wildcard; someone who can glide through defences and conjure up an exemplary final ball even when under intense pressure, and the 19-year-old could become a Ballon d’Or contender if he keeps improving at such a dramatic rate.
4.Scott McTominay (Napoli) – £26m
Most Manchester United fans weren’t too sad to see Scott McTominay depart last year, despite his status as a homegrown star, because he’d rarely shown himself to be more than just a workhorse. The general consensus was that the Scotland international didn’t have the technical quality to become a United legend, but Napoli boss Conte saw something in him that none of the coaches at Old Trafford did.
Conte didn’t sign McTominay to sit in front of the defence, he was earmarked for a more advanced role in a 4-3-3 system that gave him license to start crashing the box, and has excelled. McTominay was the best midfielder in Serie A this season, and he has the MVP award to back that up as a reward for his haul of 18 goal involvements, with vital strikes against the likes of Inter, Torino, Monza and Cagliari making him a new icon in the eyes of the Napoli faithful.
“How you can sell Scott is beyond me,” former United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said in a recent interview with the BBC, but the 28-year-old won’t be holding any grudges. Now the most important player for the new Serie A champions, it’s fair to say McTominay has moved on to bigger and better things.
3.Michael Olise (Bayern Munich) – £50m
Harry Kane has grabbed most of the headlines at Bayern in 2024-25, and deservedly so after spearheading their Bundesliga triumph with 26 goals. But the England captain couldn’t have done it without Michael Olise, who has given Vincent Kompany’s side their X-factor since his arrival from Crystal Palace.
Olise was Bayern’s joint-second top scorer and provided a staggering 18 assists, which earned the 23-year-old the Bundesliga’s Rookie of the Year award, while he also posted seven goal involvements in the Champions League. What comes next could be truly special; there are few wingers in the game more elusive and thrilling to watch than Olise in full flow, and he possesses a left foot blessed by the footballing Gods.
2.Joao Neves (Paris Saint-Germain) – £59m
PSG beat Manchester United to the signing of Joao Neves from Benfica in 2024, and the top brass at Old Trafford would be forgiven for now looking at the youngster’s progress with envious eyes. Indeed, Neves has been a transformational signing for the Ligue 1 giants, with the 5’7 wizard running their midfield in all the biggest matches.
Neves is a master at receiving the ball in tight places and breaking through the lines, but also a counter-pressing monster who hounds the opposition from the first minute to the last – as Manchester City found out to their peril in their Champions League meeting. The 20-year-old has the capacity to conjure up crucial goals and killer passes, too, with PSG in better shape than ever to finally conquer Europe due to his mesmerising abilities.
1.Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid) – free
Real Madrid are a worse team now than before Kylian Mbappe joined the club, that’s just a fact. Last season’s Spanish and European champions have relinquished both titles in worryingly meek fashion, with Barcelona emphatically knocking them off their perch as the best team in Spain while an injury-ravaged Arsenal taught them a footballing lesson in the last eight of the Champions League.
Mbappe had some initial teething troubles, too, as he struggled to adapt to a new role through the middle flanked by Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo. But the strength of character the former PSG star has shown to defy his critics has been extraordinary.
None of the blame for Madrid’s awful season should be laid at the door of Mbappe, who mustered 42 goals in all competitions, including 31 in La Liga to clinch the European Golden Shoe, and scored hat-tricks against elite opponents like Barca and Man City (not bad for a player who commanded no transfer fee!). Mbappe has been every inch the ‘Galactico’ Real expected him to be, despite the team’s collective issues, and the trophies will start flowing again if new manager Xabi Alonso can bring balance and upgrade the Frenchman’s supporting cast.
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